Former Boston Celtics star Rajon Rondo was one of the best point guards in the league during his prime.
While never an explosive scorer, he was the ultimate pass-first guy, a true floor general, and one of the savviest and most intelligent players to ever walk the face of the Earth.
Rondo’s basketball IQ was almost unmatched and was perhaps his best trait as an NBA star, allowing him to play for a very long time, even when he wasn’t as good as he used to be anymore.
Looking back on his career during his appearance on J.J. Redick’s The Old Man & The Three, the two-time NBA champion tipped his hat off to LeBron James and Kobe Bryant as the only two players who were like coaches on the court.
Rondo claimed that both James and Kobe were coaching their own teams during the game and that he had to take a different approach whenever he had to play against them.
He’s not the first player to praise these two legends for their intelligence.
Bryant had literally learned the entire rulebook, so he knew how to get away with fouls by fouling his rivals in the refs’ blind spots and whatnot.
LeBron has excelled as a playmaker, and multiple players have been in awe of his ability to break down the rival’s plays in real-time, as well as his ability to remember every single play in thorough detail.
Being able to outsmart and outcoach your rivals is an underrated trait and one that we don’t see often on the court.
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